How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019) - Movie Review

For all of Dreamworks’ somewhat questionable decisions (I am still willing to defend Boss Baby, but I understand being in the harsh minority with that position), the How To Train Your Dragon series has remained the undisputed feather in their cap. And for a threequel that is actively trying to close the book on that series, this is about as perfect a conclusion as they could have possibly drummed up for one of the most beloved big-screen properties.

Every showcasing of drop-dead gorgeous animation that has made the high-flying series what it is is here in plentiful supply. Exciting aerial combat, destruction-riddled naval combat, breathtaking flying sequences, even some stealth scenes that show ample control of light to set the mood; this is all pretty damn spiffy and it builds on the series’ pedigree. But beyond just the foreground, the background composition shows staggering levels of detail, from the brightly-coloured trappings of Berk to the uber-coloured grandiosity of the titular Hidden World.

Not that director Dean DeBlois has relied solely on what we see to make things stick, as his writing continues to show an extremely welcomed level of character development. The core motley crew of dragon riders all feel like they still have a place in the spotlight, even if it amounts to little more than trying to sell annoying=funny (I may have warmed up to Kristen Wiig in recent years, but in this mode as Ruffnut, she is still quite irritating), and the character arc of Hiccup reaches an interesting crescendo.

Closing out the trilogy’s trajectory of Hiccup’s journey from the misfit tinkerer to the true leader of the tribe, this feels like the journey we have taken over the past decade has been leading up to this amount of growth and discovery of confidence. Pitting him against dragon hunter Grimmel the Grisly only solidifies this, giving the audience a look at how Hiccup’s character could have turned out if his encounter with Toothless had ended on a different note. A darker, more malicious note, resulting in a damn effective villain, aided further by F. Murray Abraham’s voice acting.

But more so than any of the mature character touches here, the main thing that sticks out here is the romantic element. As a story just as informed by love as it is by anything regarding action-adventure antics, the moments of relationship building end up serving as the film’s highest points. And much like with the dichotomy of Hiccup and Grimmel, it’s another showing of duality that pushes this along, that of Hiccup and Toothless.

The courtship scenes between Toothless and the new Light Fury, allowing just the character blocking and John Powell’s beautiful music do the talking, show Dreamworks at their visual storytelling best; I simply will never run out of good things to say about how amazing this turned out. It’s only challenged by the relationship between Hiccup and Astrid, which is such a heart-warming display of natural connection and chemistry that it marks a serious high point for the next twelve months’ worth of love stories to measure up to.

The film’s musings on love and companionship carry the film with remarkable smoothness right to the conclusion, which ends the trilogy on a bittersweet but fitting note. It takes what I’ve always considered to be one of the more trite bits of echoed sentimentality regarding love and needing to let it go eventually, and turns it into something that feels like what this series needed to end on a satisfying resolution. Fun, warm, exciting and showing a wealth of narrative maturity, this is a great flick that concludes an amazingly consistent trilogy of great flicks.